Three Kingdoms

There was a burst of chaotic footsteps on the official road.

Zhang Lu's hair was disheveled, his clothes were messy, and his face was stained with blood and dust. Like a little girl who had just been ravaged and escaped from the clutches of the devil, he ran out of the west gate of Nanzheng in a state of embarrassment.

It is not that there are no war horses in Nanzheng, but due to the special terrain in central Sichuan, there are only a few decent horses. The rest are like short-legged mules. When you sit on them, your legs and feet can reach the ground. They may not necessarily run faster than people. More or less, the only advantage is that it has a strong endurance, and the feeding does not need to be too meticulous. The camels are okay, but as for fighting, it is too weak.

Therefore, Zhang Lu did not form any cavalry troops, and the few Xiliang horses in the city were too conspicuous. Riding such Xiliang horses among the rebels undoubtedly pointed out the target for the opponent to focus their fire...

Therefore, Zhang Lu mingled among ordinary soldiers and fleeing people, and rushed out of the west gate more or less smoothly.

At the critical moment of life and death, everyone does not need to rush, but fights for his or her life, seemingly with endless energy. However, after realizing that they are out of danger, they feel like a deflated ball and suddenly fall down on the couch.

They ran wildly along the official road in the west of Nanzheng City. At first they were running fast, but then they turned into sprinting. Now everyone is stumbling forward, not to mention the usually pampered Zhang Lu, even ordinary people The soldiers, with their throats about to burst into flames, finally listened to Zhang Lu's order to take a rest, and all of them immediately collapsed to the ground in a state of confusion.

Zhang Lu himself also had weak legs. He felt that his waist and legs were like wooden stakes. He couldn't use any strength when he stepped on them. He stumbled and fell to the ground with a thud.

"Master!"

The guards struggled over and helped Zhang Lu up.

"Brother..." Zhang Wei also moved over, and then as soon as his eyes fell on Zhang Lu's face, he couldn't help but turned pale and shouted, "Brother, your face..."

At this time, Zhang Lu felt that his face was burning and painful. He didn't know when something made a big gash. The skin and flesh were turned over, and blood was flowing out.

What about Zhang Lu's appearance? His mother was a saint of the Zhengyiwei Alliance, so the inheritance is not bad. He usually attaches great importance to appearance. However, although the wound on his face is not necessarily fatal, even if the skin and flesh are rolled, It's okay, but the originally handsome face is ruined.

Zhang Lu reached out and touched it, and gasped in pain. Zhang Lu didn't pay much attention to his appearance, but even a person who didn't pay much attention to his appearance would be extremely unhappy when he suddenly had such an injury on his face. He immediately roared angrily: "Zhengxi! I won't take revenge for this." , swear not to be a human being!"

After shouting these words, which were like a blood-stained oath and a way to vent his emotions, Zhang Lu felt a little better...

Zhang Lu sat, and Zhang Wei also sat. The two of them were like bereaved dogs squatting together, licking each other's wounds, panting, and looking around in shock from time to time.

After a while, his breath finally calmed down a bit, and Zhang Wei couldn't help but ask: "Brother, let's... where should we go next..."

When the guards on the side heard these words, they couldn't help but focus on Zhang Lu. As Zhang Lu's personal bodyguards, these people, like Zhang Wei, are basically linked to Zhang Lu's life. If Zhang Lu failed to recover and no longer had any enterprising ambitions, then it is not just Zhang Lu who After Lu is over, even the people who followed Zhang Lu have no future or hope...

"...We...let's go to Yangping Pass!" Zhang Lu said after being silent for a moment.

Zhang Wei couldn't help but shout out, maybe because of his impatience or because he had been running for a long time, his voice was a little dry: "But...but Yangpingguan...it's...it's Yang Ren!"

Zhang Lu glared at Zhang Wei and said, "Don't be rude! Captain Yang... is naturally different..." Originally Yang Ren was stationed in Nanzheng, but after what happened to Yang Song and Yang Bai, Zhang Lu became somewhat Some are worried about depriving Yang Ren of his military power, and some are unjustifiable. After all, although his surname is Yang, Yang Ren and Yang Song are no longer from the same ancestral home. , just like Zhang Fei ran away and then chopped Zhang Liao, it must be an extremely stupid thing to do.

However, after all, there are people with the surname "Yang". That "Yang" turned against him. Who knows what this "Yang" will do, so Zhang Lu transferred Yang Ren to Yangping Pass. After all, General Zhengxi had already come out of the Tangluo Pass. , it is impossible to send people to take a detour to Yangping Pass, and Yang Ren can only bring his own troops, so it can be considered a relatively safe arrangement.

But I didn't expect that Nanzheng would be breached so quickly, and then Zhang Lu had to go back to find Yang Ren...

Is it embarrassing? Of course there is some, but when things have reached this point, what can I do?

Then go to other counties and towns to find local wealthy and powerful people?

Aren’t the bloody lessons in Nanzheng City enough?

"Let's go..." Zhang Lu climbed up and said, "Send the order, go west..."

Now that Zhang Lu had made his decision, Zhang Wei couldn't say anything more, so he urged everyone to set off.

After walking for a while, Zhang Wei gradually felt something was wrong and looked around uneasily.

At this time, the ugly season is about to pass, and the originally black satin-like sky is gradually lifted, revealing a little light, and the surroundings can gradually be seen further...

This road is the main road leading to Yangpingguan.

Although it is a main road, it is definitely not like the 20-lane two-way road in later generations. It is so wide that it takes ten minutes to cross the road and walk over the overpass. Instead, it is only two or three meters wide at most, and in the road On both sides, the areas where people don't often walk around are covered with weeds and shrubs...

There is a small forest not far away.

forest……

Zhang Wei suddenly understood why he felt uneasy, because it was already dawn, but he had not heard many birds chirping in the morning, especially when there was a forest, which meant that either of these The birds were collectively defeated by the quilt, or they ran away long ago...

So why run?

Zhang Wei reacted and was about to issue a warning, but it was already too late. He only heard the sound of a gong, and many soldiers stood out in the bushes and bushes, either holding crossbows or with bows drawn!

"Protector! Protect... ah..." Zhang Weicai rushed forward and shouted half a sentence. Suddenly, an arrow hit his chest, and he fell to the ground with a scream.

Zhang Lu's guards, who were already exhausted, did not carry any decent equipment to defend themselves against arrows, not even a few shields. When they were suddenly hit by arrows and crossbows, they were like Zhuang He under a sickle. Usually, one by one is shot over.

Li Ru slowly walked out of the woods and yawned loudly. Tears oozed from the corners of his eyes. He stretched out his hand to wipe them and said to himself: "When I was on the run, I was so slow, which hurt someone." It’s been a long night waiting, you really are an incompetent person..."

Zhang Lu was protected by the remaining guards. Perhaps he really felt that he was at the end of his road, or had other thoughts. He shouted angrily and loudly: "Zhengxi! Zhengxi! I have no grudges against you. Why did you poison someone! Then someone turned into a fierce ghost and cursed you to not have a happy ending!"

Li Ru sneered when he heard this and didn't say anything. He just waved his hand and asked the soldiers to step up their attack.

Fierce ghost?

With your little ability, can you still become a bad guy?

Originally, Li Ru had suggested that Fei Qian take Zhang Lu in, because although Zhang Lu had no ability, he could still play a role in winning over Taoist believers in Hanzhong. However, after learning that there was Zuo Ci in Yinshan, Li Ru He instantly lost interest in Zhang Lu.

The Taoist people in Hanzhong sent Zuo Ci to pacify them, and the people in Hanzhong had Zhang to help stabilize them. What happened to Zhang Lu? Keeping it is also a disaster, it is better to get rid of it as soon as possible!

No grudges or grudges?

In this world, being weak is a sin! Even General Zhengxi was so powerful that he didn't dare to overturn the table rashly. But just because Zhang Lu was in Hanzhong, he dared to risk the disapproval of the world and abolish the imperial system that had been in use for more than 400 years?

Since you have committed an act of protesting against the old rules, how can you still say that you have no grudges?

Being so weak and incompetent, but not knowing how to hold back, not knowing how to be subtle, not knowing how to be subtle, isn't this a quick way to death?

Just like what General Zhengxi said, the only way to break the current situation is to find a way out. Just like Nanzheng, if we attack by force, it may not be effective even if we lose troops and generals, but if we rebel in the city, it becomes easy and simple... …

Seeing Zhang Lu fall down after being hit by an arrow, Li Ru showed no emotion and asked someone to take Zhang Lu's head, saying: "Xia Zhi... Form the team, return to the city..."

…………………………

Although it is already summer, the weather in the north is still a bit cool in the morning and evening, but the sun is longer, so it is relatively suitable for traveling.

From Yinshan to Pingyang, and then from Pingyang to Guanzhong, they have to walk a mountain road into Sichuan. Although Zuo Ci is still physically strong, he has been tortured enough. If he had not always been well-kept, a person of his age would , such a long road can be declared scrapped after a few twists and turns.

Fortunately, both Xun Chen in Pingyang and Jia Xu in Guanzhong gave Zuo Ci some respect. Except for the mountain roads where driving was really impossible, they sent a push cart to Zuo Ci to travel on the rest of the way. It can be regarded as giving Zuo Xianren some care...

Of course, these cares also mean that these people do not regard Zuo Ci as a real immortal.

A true immortal, of course, eats the wind, drinks the dew, and soars into the clouds. Why does he need worldly things?

What? No more blue? A mage without blue is worse than a dog...

However, Zuo Ci did not go south alone. There were two other people traveling with him, one of whom was Liu Dan.

Compared with Zuo Ci, who looked calm and calm, Liu Dan was somewhat uneasy.

Okay, why did you suddenly transfer your order to the south? When I arrived in Pingyang, I said I was going to Guanzhong, and when I arrived in Guanzhong, I said I was going to Hanzhong. Isn’t it possible that when I arrived in Hanzhong, I said I was going to Sichuan?

You know, Sichuan is...

Then General Zhengxi was in Hanzhong...

this……

What the hell is this thing called?

Although Liu Dan also tried his best to inquire and make insinuations, the problem was that neither Xun Chen nor Jia Xu were so easy to get along with. Liu Dan was brushed aside with a few words of haha ​​and left and right, and no useful information could be gleaned. come out.

As for Huang Cheng, who accompanied him all the way and was in charge of guarding the soldiers, he had an honest face and smiled without saying anything. Although it also meant that he was unaware, Liu Dan always felt that he should know something. It's just that Liu Dan tried several times and couldn't figure out anything...

This made Liu Dan very depressed.

What on earth is General Zhengxi looking for?

Could it be that his little tricks in Yinshan were discovered?

Or maybe that bastard among the people I roped in committed an offense and bit me out?

Or is it that General Zhengxi is planning to pay homage to my father first before fighting, or something even worse, he has already taken action, and then uses me as a hostage...

Many problems popped up like mushrooms after a rain, but Liu Dan eliminated them one by one.

Quite simply, there is no sign of large-scale mobilization of grain and grass soldiers to Hanzhong. However, I heard that a lot of grain and grass were mobilized from Hanzhong to Guanzhong...

If there really was a war in Hanzhong, where would the surplus grain and grass be sent to Guanzhong?

But what exactly Zheng Xi wanted him to do was still a mystery in Liu Dan's heart.

"Old fairy..."

On this day, Liu Dan couldn't hold it any longer. Taking advantage of a break on the road, he came to Zuo Ci, cupped his hands and saluted, "I wonder if the old god can do a divination for me?"

"I don't dare to be a god..." Zuo Ci smiled half-heartedly and said, "Is Liu Yushi in trouble?"

Liu Dan once served as censor, so it is not wrong to call him censor.

"It's not like there's anything embarrassing..." Liu Dan said with a smile, "It's just a long road ahead. I feel it in my heart and asked about my future..."

How could Zuo Ci, an old and sophisticated person, not know that Liu Dan was just an excuse, and he did not expose it. He just smiled and said: "It doesn't matter, since Liu Yushi is interested in elegance, the old man will make a divination... Disciple, take yarrow." Come on..."

Fortune telling has basically become an instinct for Zuo Ci. The purple yarrow was flying up, down, left and right in Zuo Ci's hands, and after a while he listed the hexagrams:

"There is no peace, no return, no blame." Zuo Ci glanced at it and said, "This is the Tai hexagram. Although there is a small going, there is a big coming..."

Liu Dan had read a little bit of the Book of Changes, so after listening to Zuo Ci's words, his originally tense expression became slightly more relaxed. He quickly handed over his hand to express his gratitude, and took a ring of jade pendants as a thank you gift. He thanked Fang and Zuo again and again. Ci left, sat aside and stopped disturbing.

Zuo Ci calmly asked his apprentice to put away the jade ring, then glanced at Liu Dan, his eyebrows moved slightly, and then he closed his eyes to rest.

Zuo Ci naturally noticed Liu Dan's restlessness these past few days. Since Liu Dan had many things on his mind, there was no hexagram more suitable than the Tai hexagram to explain his mood.

No matter what you say, you can't go wrong.

Zuo Ci has been using yarrow to tell fortunes for almost his whole life. He can divide it into several branches and figure out what hexagrams he wants. Basically, he can do it as he pleases and easily.

Tai Gua, it is true that there is nothing wrong with the small going and the big coming, but whether the "small going" can be tolerated is still a question. If you can't even bear the "small going", then there will be no "big coming"...

No matter how peaceful it is.

If you want Tai Lai, please confirm first...